Bali Travel Mart to be held after the June 7 elections

JAKARTA (JP): Bali will host its first annual international marketing event on tourism, the Bali Travel Mart, two weeks after the June elections.

The head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Luther Barrung, said here on Thursday that foreign buyers' interest in joining the expo was encouraging despite the prevailing uncertainty about the elections' proceeding and aftermath.

"Up to now, we have 246 buyers who have confirmed their participation. Most of them are from Europe."

He said the organizer expected 300 international buyers and 500 local sellers to participate.

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia Airlines and Singapore Airlines will support the event by inviting and transporting selected buyers and travel writers from Asia, Japan, Europe, America and Australia, he said.

Bali Travel Mart will be held from June 22 to June 26 in Nusa Dua. It will be opened by Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Marzuki Usman.

The event will consist of three main components: Bali Tourism Expo, which will be a major trade and consumer tourism exposition, featuring new products, crafts and export goods; Bali Tourism Forum, a one-day seminar on tourism marketing in Bali; and Bali Travex '99, where buyers and sellers will get together to forge new networks.

He said his office, in coordination with Bali Police Headquarters, recently visited Taiwan to explain the current situation in Indonesia and Bali to the local authorities and tourist coordinators.

Taiwan's government initially banned its people from traveling to Indonesia, he said.

However, his group's clarification led to the revocation of the ban, he added.

"We told them the truth. Bali is a very safe island. You see for yourself that no trouble occurred during the huge function held by PDI Perjuangan party earlier this year," he said.

Luther said inbound tourism in Bali was so far unaffected by the country's hectic preparations for the elections because the number of tourists increased steadily.

Inbound tourism to Bali increased to 117,000 in March, from 105,000 in February and 102,000 in January, he said.

"Compared to the number during the same period last year, the inbound tourism to Bali has increased by an average of 20 percent," he added. (cst)